My best friend
by Lavenderangel
Summary: Preseries sequel to Pretend. Claudia colors at the playground.


Title: My Best Friend

Author: Lauren

Rating: G

Summary: Sort of sequel to Pretend; Claudia draws at the playground.

Author's notes: I know Claudia's logic doesn't make sense through some of this, I like it that way. I hope the characterization is good; 7 year olds are hard to write.

Disclaimer: The characters within do not belong to me.

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"Can you watch Lily for me, Claudie?" I look up from my picture of the swing set I was making for mommy to see Mary Anne. She stands next to me, holding Lily tight.

"Yeah, okay. Where are you going?" I put down my markers to see where the rest of my friends are.

"To play tag with Kristy and Sammy. Lily doesn't like tag. Can she stay here and help you color?"

"Uh-huh." She grins and whispers to the doll, before putting her down real careful and running off, without asking me to come play.

"Like my picture, Lily?" I ask when Mary Anne's far away. Nini, my sister, says talking to dolls is stupid. I don't care though, dolls always smile at you even when you're dumb, like me. Nini's super smart, not like me and everyone likes her best 'cause of that.

Mary Anne and Kristy don't like her best, but they like each other best. I know that's cause I color lots but that's only because they're always playing by themselves. They hold hands and laugh together and all I have for friends are my crayons and markers and play dough. They must think that's lots of friends though, 'cause they don't even ask me to play anymore.

"This is a stupid picture, isn't it, Lily." She keeps smiling where Mary Anne left her, but I rip it up anyway. Mommy wouldn't like it. She only likes Nini's papers with stars on them. My papers never get stars, 'cept sometimes in art class but that's not the same.

I look over at my friends. Sammy's it and is chasing Kristy. Mary Anne's somewhere behind them both, hiding out. Kristy finds her and they squeal, grabbing hands and running off together. Sammy keeps after them, laughing too. I stay alone at the table.

"I wish I had a best friend," I tell Lily. I decide to make one with my markers, since I don't have any crayons or paint. Paint would be the prettiest, but my best friend won't care that she's made out of markers.

I draw careful, because I want her to be just right. She'll be taller than me, just a little bit. Kristy and Mary Anne are both smaller than me, so my friend will be the tallest. That'll make her extra special.

Her body's easy, cause it's not too important. She's tall and thin and I makes her wear a skirt. I like skirts, they're fun. Mommy only likes me to wear skirts for special times because I get them dirty with markers and play dough. I'll let my kids where skirts whenever they want to though. I'll be a fun mommy.

My best friend wears a skirt with a t-shirt. The shirt is purple, since that's the bestest color.

"What do you think," I say to Lily.

"It's a ghost! Claudie made a person with no head! She's going to eat you, Mary Anne!" Sammy comes out of nowhere, with Kristy and Mary Anne.

"Don't let her eat me!" Mary Anne screams, grabbing Lily and hiding behind Kristy. Kristy gives me a mean look, even though I didn't do nothing 'cept not finish my picture.

"She's coming for you!" Sammy starts grabbing at Mary Anne and the three of them run away again, not even leaving me with Lily to talk to. I bet she would have smiled at my picture, though.

I think super hard about my best friend's head and face, 'cause it's the most important part. I decide her hair will be long and blonde, 'cause blonde is pretty. My black hair is nice, but blonde is too. Kristy and Mary Anne don't have blonde hair and my best friend won't like them. That's why she'll have blonde hair.

My tall best friend, with blonde hair and… what color eyes? Not brown or black or green. Blue. Blue are good, 'cause they are pretty when you're laughing.

My best friend's blue eyes shine up at me. I make her laughing, because I'd make her laugh lots. My best friend, with her skirt and purple t-shirt. Her blonde hair and laughing blue eyes. She's pretty and perfect. And mine.

But not real. I stare down at her, listening to Sam chasing the girls by me again without any of them looking at my picture now.

"Hi, best friend. Do you want to play with me?"

Her blue eyes shine pretty and I know she likes me.

"I wish you were here, best friend."

"I will be soon," I pretend she says.

"Hurry up. I don't like waiting. Or being by myself. It…" I think hard for the right word. Nini would know the right word. "It's lonely," I finally whisper to my best friend made out of markers.


End file.
